Gold worth UAH 8.5 million disappeared from Kherson pawnshops

Law enforcement officers have served a notice of suspicion to the head of several branches of a pawnshop chain in Kherson, who is suspected of misappropriating precious metal products worth more than UAH 8.5 million.

This was reported by the Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office.

According to the investigation, since 2015, the 41-year-old man has headed several branches of network pawnshops owned by two companies. He worked part-time and was fully responsible for the storage, movement and delivery of money and pledged property, including precious metal jewelry.

Photo: Kherson Regional Prosecutor's Office

The investigation established that on February 24, 2022, the day of the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the man received instructions from his superiors to urgently seize all jewelry from the pawnshop branches and transfer it to Kyiv for storage in a central storage facility.

Fulfilling the order, the suspect took the pledged jewelry from eight pawnshop branches in Kherson. However, according to the investigation, instead of transferring the property to the capital, he appropriated it.

As a result of the man's actions, two network companies suffered losses of more than UAH 8.5 million.

The suspect has been served in absentia a notice of suspicion of misappropriation of property by abuse of office committed under martial law and in a particularly large scale (Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the prosecutor's office, the man is hiding from the investigation.

The pre-trial investigation in the case is being carried out by investigators of the Main Department of the National Police in Kherson region.

Earlier, Intent wrote how a court in Kherson found guilty of collaboration a former social worker from Bilozerka, who worked in an illegally created government agency during the occupation.

Андрій Колісніченко